The Lunch Rush
by alyssialui
Summary: George leaves Verity to hold down the fort. Post-Hogwarts.


_A/N: George leaves Verity to hold down the fort. _I do not own Harry Potter.__

_Submission for:_

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft &amp; Wizardry (Challenges &amp; Assignments):** Care of Magical Creatures Assignment #3** \- **Write about a minor character who plays a very large role in the life of a more well-known character. Your focus should be on the minor character and whatever relationship they have with the other character._

_**Hogwarts Fair 2014 Challenge/Competition: **Face-Painting_

_**Represent That Character! Challenge II**_

* * *

It was a normal day at the joke shop and things were quiet around here, too quiet. Not that Verity was complaining. This place was usually a madhouse and she was happy for a little peace and quiet at work.

Everyone was still mourning the loss of the Weasley twin, none more so than George, and it had taken him a while to reopen the store. But Verity was happy that he had decided to. This was his and Fred's dream, and keeping it open and bringing smiles to everyone's faces would honour his memory. George preventing that kind of joy and doing anything else would be almost sinful.

But today was quiet. Verity stood at the front counter, mindlessly flipping through the display of salt-water taffies in the stand beside her as she wondered where all the customers were. It was still summer and she could see people walking up and down the Alley laughing through the large shop window. So why was no one in the store?

"Verity, I'm going to get some lunch while it's quiet. Can you handle the store while I'm gone?" George asked, taking off his apron as he stepped into the main room. He had been around the back making up some skiving snackboxes. He smoothed down his hair, wiped his brow on the back of his hand and gave her a small smile.

She nodded and gave him a mock salute, "Of course, Mr Weasley. As you can see, it's pretty dead around here."

He grinned at her name for him. Some things just never changed. "Alright then. Thanks. I'll bring something back for you too." There was a chime over the door and then George joined the sea of people in the Alley.

Verity stared about the empty store. What would she do now? She walked about and decided to play around with the merchandise. She let loose a couple Fanged Flyers and Fanged Frisbee about the place, aiming them towards some posters on the wall. She put on a couple of Headless Hats and stood near the window to scare the people outside. She played with some fake wands, laughing out loud at each joke or trick. And she almost beaned herself in the eye with a boxing telescope, dodging the boxing glove in the nick of time.

There was a chime again and loud stomping: the lunch rush. Verity ran up to the counter just in time to see a barrage of children and their reluctant parents, and teens enter the store. Verity took a deep breath. She could handle this.

Verity was a whirlwind of movement as she rushed about the store. She played with the kids and the pygmy puffs, she helped young girls test the Wonder Witch products, she balanced on ladders and stands to reach the higher items, she cleaned up the spilt love potions, and she entertained the little kids and even, watched a lady's stroller.

George came back almost an hour later with a cinnamon roll in his hand. Not much of a lunch, but it would make Verity smile. He stopped in the doorway and saw the disaster that was his shop, but there was still some type of order and people were still being attended to somehow. He moved through the crowd, stopping every once in a while to help a customer with something while calling out Verity's name. Where was that girl?

Then there was a shout, though muffled by the laughter in the shop, and then a soft explosion and a curse. George ran to the back to see Verity covered in purple slime next to a tower of new Snackboxes and a basket of Wonder Witch potions. She grinned sheepishly before saying, "A little kid tried getting in here, and by the time I shooed him out and came back, the Puking Pastiles had stayed on the fire too long. Sorry about the mess."

George smiled, placing her roll on the nearby table and pulling Verity into a tight embracing, uncaring of the purple slime on her arms and in her hair. He whispered above her head, "Thank you, Verity, for everything. I'm sorry for leaving you to handle the rush alone, but looks like I left it in good hands, almost as good as my own. You've done an excellent job manning the fort. Fred would be proud."

Verity smiled and looked at him, noticing the tears in his eyes at the memory of his brother. "Glad to be of service, George."

George chuckled and said, "That's Mr Weasley to you."


End file.
